hand in hand

Every step counts when you're trying to get to 10,000 steps for the day. But I think Grandma Ann would agree with me that the steps are lot more fun when taken with Z!

i'll just sit over here.

Much like the pool, I didn't think there was anything that would get Zach to give up his seat. Apparently little dude is still getting used to Linwood.

Adiron-Zach

Why do we ever go home?

fishy

Once Zachary gets those pudgy little feet in the water--he never wants to get out. You should see his suntan!

Tips for Flying with a Toddler

1. Accomplices: You can go it alone, but I wouldn't recommend it. Whenever possible, bring Grandma with on the plane. The toddler is often more pliable in grandma's lap, and will be more willing to submit to her distractions. Bringing Daddy would also prove helpful, but try to book the grandma, they are worth the upgrade.

2. Comestibles: Bring more snacks than you think your toddler could possibly consume in a week; most of them will end up on the floor, or in the chair-back pocket. Soft, sticky, smelly, all bad ideas. Don't make more work for yourself than you already have! Don't pack things like applesauce, peanut butter, yogurt, chocolate, bananas or taco salad. Instead, go for freeze-dried yogurt melts and freeze dried fruits, Goldfish crackers, Annie's Bunny Grahams, Cheerios, pretzels and warehouse sized boxes of raisins. If you can bring a small lunch box and freezer pack, string cheese, grapes and chopped up ham or chicken. Variety is important. Your little one may adore raisins on terra firma, but come 30,000 feet, raisins could become nothing more than missiles to be hurled at unsuspecting passengers and flight attendants. Have plenty of alternatives available.

3. Accoutrements: Think layers and multiples when it comes to clothing.  You will inevitably need one more change of pants than you packed, and it will be colder or hotter than you expected. Also, don't be so focused on the wardrobe for your adorable toddler, that you forget your part in the fashion show. You will be in very close proximity to all messes requiring costume changes.

4. Diversions: This one is pretty self explanatory, if you don't bring enough to keep your toddler entertained, you will have to be the entertainment. Books, toys, siblings, grandmas, whatever it takes.  Keep in mind that electronics, like portable DVD players or laptops, often seem like a better idea than they prove to be. Especially if your toddler is under 2 and still traveling in your lap, there isn't much room for pulling the device out, and setting it up. You also can't use it during take off and landing, which for some shorter flights doesn't leave much time for viewing. In a pinch, ask the flight attendant for a couple of plastic cups and some napkins. I've seen my son happily play with a plastic cup for 20 minutes. If it comes with a straw, that's at least another 10 minutes worth of amusement.

5. Courtesies: Paper towels and ear plugs for your fellow passengers might be in order. Having left their houses unaware of the tiny chaos they would be accompanying on the flight, they won't have quite the emergency preparedness kit that you have.

 

6. Welcoming Committee: You're going to be exhausted, your arms are probably going to feel like jell-o, and you're going to be covered in crumbs and various unidentifiable sticky spots. After one cross country flight, while stumbling off the plane with my sticky load, the passenger disembarking behind me stopped me to let me know I had several cereal puffs stuck to the backs of my legs. Make arrangements for someone to be waiting for you at the airport, as close to your gate as they can get. Let them chase, and carry, and corral. Take a deep breath, fix your hair, and hope the flight home is at least a few days away!

ow-sigh

Thank goodness the weather is warming up; Zachary isn't one to sit quietly indoors for very long. 

Stacked

I love how Zach shows off a new skill almost every day. From stacking blocks, to identifying letters, he's always coming up with something new to impress us. Today for the first time, he told Poppa and Daddy that he loved them, without being prompted to say it! "Lauwwwooo!" Talk about melting your heart!

tubular!

Zakky!!!

That's what Mara calls Z. You can hear delighted screams of, "Zakky!" as soon as she catches sight of him. Sometimes, she hasn't even caught sight of him, she can just hear him from outside. And if Zach hears her playing out on the deck, he runs and pounds on the sliding door, yelling "Ow-sigh, Ow-sigh, Mara, Mara, Mara!" Until we let him out to see her.

No Girls Allowed

Watch the video of Zachary playing with his new favorite toy! (You tell me if the new toy is the tent, or Poppa!)

tight fit

 How long until Z discovers that he no longer fits in some of his favorite places??

face this way